Grain drill



4: sheets-Snee 1 T. W. PAUL GRAIN DRILLA Filed Nov. 10, 1945 Y Feb. 25, 1947-.

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` INVENTOR.l TALBERT W. PAUL ATTORNEYS Felmzs, 1947. '1. w. AUL 2,416,403

' GRAIN DRILL FiiedNov. 1o, 194s 4 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 2 o o l lEs 7 6 f Iel 6| 37 7 |a 36 3f 9 la 2) l\ Il INVEN TOR. TALBERT W. PAUL Y A .p7

` TTORNEYS T. W. PAUL GRAIN DRILL Feb. 25, 1947.

Filed Nov. lO, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 YFIG. 4

INVEN TOR. TALBERT W. PAUL ATTORNEYS Feb. 25, l1947. T, w. PAUL 2,416,403

GRAIN DRILL h Filed Nov. 10, 1943 `4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. TALBERT W. PAUL 6994" ,.-Bx .M

, ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25, 1947 GRAIN DRILL v, Talbert W. Paul, Moline, Ill., assigner to The Van Brunt Manufacturing ICo., Horicon, Wis., a corkl poration of Wisconsin Application November 10, 1943. Serial No. 509,940

has its greatest eifectivenesswhen-tlie tools-are.v

in their ground engaging. positionv and in which the effectiveness of the loading. spring is reduced or substantiallyeliminated when the tools areA raised, thereby relieving the raising mechanism of having to operate against the force of the loading spring or springs.

More vspeciiically, it is a feature of this invention to provide a grain drill having a considerable number of furrow openers with loading spring mechanism for forcing the furrow openers into the ground, with mechanism responsive to movement of the raising means lifting the furrow openers into their raised position for decreasing and substantially eliminating the ee'ct of the loading spring means as the furrow openers are lifted vinto their raised position. An arrangement of this kind is especially useful with the larger sizes of grain drills in which the number of furrow openers may exceed fteen to twenty or more and .in which considerable force is required to hold the furrow openers in the'ground, especially under such conditions.V as where the drill may encounter a hard spot in the field. Par.- ticularly, itv is a featurelof this invention to provide loading spring means on the drill andwhich is mitiallybiased sonsito exert an appreciable force tending to hold the furrow openers down in theiry loicnera'ting position, which force Vis more or less independent of the force for this purpose which would 4be available from the` raising and 11 Claims. (Cl. 111-459) preferably during this part of the raising move'-4 ment the raising action is augmented by the reaction of the multiplicity of pressure springs, there being one of such pressure springs for each furrow opener. v f

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following A detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which'preferredf embodiments of the invention have been illustrated. In the drawings: n Figure 1 is a side view, with certain parts shown in section, of a tractorpropelled grain Vdrill inv which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated; Y

Figure 2 is a plan view of the grain drill shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the tools in their raised position. In Figure 1 the tools are shown in their lowered position; Y Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken generally. along the line .4-4 of Figure 1,

lowering means, such as, for example, a power lift unit deriving energy from the propelling trac'- ftor, lit being a `furtherfeature of the invention to provide mechanismy whereby when the power lift unit is operatedlto vraise the furrowv 'openers 'it does not have to work against the loading spring means except through what is equivalent to only a part of the raising range of the power lift, and

showing the particular'. form of bea'ringsuppcirt'4 for thelpressure shafts; f Fig'ure' is aA fragmentary plan view of armodif' lied form .of the present invention; Y Figure 6 is a side'view of the` form of the in`. vention shown inV Figure 5; and y Figuref'l is aV fragmentary viewshowing the position of the linkage when the tools are raised.v Referring now more particularly to Figures 1v and 2, the first embodiment I have chosen to illus-` trate the present invention is represented by a grain drill I having amain frame 2 supportedon ground wheels 3, A hitch frame 4 includes kfor-` wardly converging angle' bars 6 and 1 which areY secured. in `any suitable, manner to thefront transverse angle i and to certain ofthe longitudinal-cro'ss bars II forming a part of the'main frame 2.- A pair of .hitch plates I3 are bolted to:

the front connected ends ofthe forwardly con-Iv a longitudinal draft bar I5 with the central part offthemain frame angle 9. The grain drill I-y Y includes a plurality-of furrow openers I l, each 's connectedV with the front frame angle 9 by a gen- @rally downwardly and rearwardly extending l a hopper I9. i end to the rear portion of each of the drag frames to the frame angle 9. The furrow openers I1 i form furrows in the soil for the deposition therein of seed delivered thereto through suitable seed feeding mechanism carried on the under side of A rod 23 is pivoted at its lower` I8 and extends generally upwardly and through a l swivel 2liY carried at the forward end of a pressure 1 arm 25. The several pressure arms 25 are fixed 1 at their rear ends'to a transverse rockshaft pr s lifting shaft 26 that is journaled in suitable bear- .ing supports carried byf the main frame 2f. Dis`r l p-osed aboutv each of the lift rods 23 'is a pressure spring 28 bearing at its lower end through a suitable abutment against the rod and at its upper A collar 29 is fixed adjustably to the upper end of the rod Y23. When the shaft 26 is rocked in one direction the swivel i 24 engages'the collar 29 and li-ftsthe associated end against the swivel 24.

furrow opener I1 into a raised position, and when the liftingr shaft 2E is rocked inthe other direci tion the springs 28 are compressed and yieldingly i force the furrow openers into their earth working position.

The structure so far described is. largely con- 3 ven-tional. In the larger sizes of drills there-V are f two` pressure shafts, 2.6 and 26a, .as shown in Figure 2, each having va plurality ofpressurearms. l 25 secured thereto. Turning now to the particularfeature with which, the present invention the corresponding part of the other unit, a de.-

j scription of one will suffice.

A, bracket. is bolted, asV at '35, to each of the f cross barsV Il adjacent the, central portion of the main frame Zand overhangs the frontA angle 9 z thereof.V The overhanging portion of each brack.

'v yond the bracket 50 so as to receive av flanged et `35 includes a transverse sleeve 31, the Vtwo 2 sleeves 31 forming a journal for a rockshaft (38..

An arm 39 is xed to one end of the .rockshaft erative means t0 thatv end', Ij have shown the rockshaft 38 as equipped with an arm 45 that vis connected at its upper end by a link with al flexible element 41 extending adjacent the hitch 1 connection between the grain drill l and the 1 tractor T. The flexible' ele`mer1t'41` is connected at its forward end with a power lift unitl P car# ried by the tractor and controlled' by a controll'ling valve lever L. The chain 41 extends through a roller guide G9 carried by ther drawbar D of the tractor... Y'

not ipartici-darli'l con' The present inventionisV v Y cerned withV the power liftunit since the `same ma-y- -be of .any suitable construction, such as i thatv shown` in U. S. Patent No. 2,311,516, issued February 16,11943, to "1'. Brown etal., or'inU. S.

. patentapplication, Serial No. 434,256, filed March A1:1, 11942, by Frank T. Court. l Therefore, it'will i suffice here to state that-.the lpower lift unit P A is of the type that may be actuated to lcause the exible 'element 41 and rthe link 46 connected 1 'thereto to be moved through tworanges, .the first 4 constituting a depth adjusting range in which the element 41, link 4B and rockshaft 38 may be moved into and held in any one'of a number of positions of adjustment, and another range in which the rockshaft 38 may be moved forwardly into a raised or transport position. Such movements of the rockshaft 38 are, of course, transmitted to the pressure shafts 26 and 26a by the links l and arms 42, and it will be noted from Figure v1 that by operating the tractor power lift', the rockshafts 26 and 26a may be moved into different positions and, in such positions, caused to act through the pressure,j springs 28 to force the furrow openers l1 intodinerent positions of Y pressure arms 25 downwardly different amounts increased ease in rocking the pressure shafts 26,-

and 25a. even when'the latter are under consid#A erable pressure. ReferringV particularly to Figure 4, a bracket is bolted, as at 5i; to the adjacent angle Il of the frame 2 v'and is ,providedv with a cylindrical bearing surface 52 along which anti-friction rollers 53 are dispos-ed.v A bushing 5t 'having a square opening 55 vto receive theV pressure shaft 26 (or 25a) is disposed within the opening 52 and serves as an inner race for the rollers 53. The bushing 5d is extended becollar 5G having a Vset screw 51 by which the collar may be secured to the bushing 54 on the. side of the bracket opposite the Vange 58 of the bracket 50. The nange 58 and the collar 5t serve to retain the rollers in position. l

A bracket 6| fis secured kto Veach of therhitch angles B and 1. A relatively heavy loading'spring 62 is adjustablyrconnec'ted by a screw threaded' rod 53 with eachibracket 6|; kThe rear end of each loading spring "E52v is pivotally connected to Y a curved link 166 which, at its rearend, is niv--` otally connected Yto an arm 61 vthatis fixed to a. short shaft 68 journaled forrocking movement in a bracket 68 fastened to thesame framer mem--Y Vber I1 to which the associated bracket 351s bolt'- ed. A second'rarm f1! is'fixed to the short shaftv 68 and is connected by a curved link 12 to an arm 13 that is fixed to the associated pressure shaft or "lift shaft, 26erA 26a'. Y

Each loading spring, as .Well 4as each lift arm 39,*is' connected with the associated parts through the above described lin'kag'e, Vand this rlinkkage, accordingto 'the principles ofthe present inven-v tion, is arranged in a'particular manner'so that; V

when the furrow openers;arezloweredJ hthel'oad. ing springs have their maximum effectiveness so l far-.as holding the furrowl openers to their work is l concerned, but 'when the v,furrow openers are raised, as shown in llfigurev 3, the linkage is such thatV the Abias of the loading springs is substantially Ientirely removed from theffurrow 'openers '5 l. shows the parts inthe positions they occupy when the furrow openers are in their lowered or operating position and in which the loading springs are effective to hold 'the furrow openers in the ground.v It will be noted that in this position the arm 'H and link 12 form a toggle which approaches its dead center relation whereby, in effect, the bias of the loading spring is multiplied andthe 'spring therefore serves as a relatively powerful `force acting through the several pres# sure springs 28 to hold the furrow openers in the ground. It will also be noted that the arm 42 is approximately perpendicular with respect to the link 4I and that the latter, together with the a'rm 39, constitutes a second toggle arranged' in an extended position whereby at this stage, a relatively large movement of thearm 39 is required to swing the pressure arms 25 upwardly. In this position, therefore, namely, the working position, the two'toggle arrangements just mentioned oonstitute motion multiplying means whereby, in effect, the bias of the loading spring is multiplied sofar as its effect on holding the furrow openers in the ground is concerned and that,.in effect, the

- lifting force, exerted through the lifting link 4B and associated parts, is multiplied by virtue of the toggle 39, 4I, so that the furrow openers may be raised even against the action of the loading springs at this stage. In this connection, however, it will lbe noted that the loading vsprings act through the pressure springs 28 in holding the furrowv openers in the ground, and therefore, at the. initial stage of lifting the tools, the relatively great effect of the loading springs is, so far asv lifting the tools is concerned, reduced by the reacting bias of the pressure springs 28. As the lifting progresses, the linkages mentioned above take different positions. Referring now to Figure 3 it will be noted that as the arm 61. swings rearwardly and downwardly, it moves into a substantially dead-center relationship with respect. to the link 69. The arm 61 and the link lxtherefore constitute a toggle arrangement in which the effectiveness of the bias exerted by the spring 62 is substantially reduced to zero. It will be notedthat the link 59 is curved so as to clearA mal amount of liftingV effort need be exerted tol start the lifting of the tools', even against the bias of the loading springs. It will also be noted that .the linkages are arranged so that after theV lifting action hasprogressed through a part of its range preferably, about thatcorresponding to.'the. upward movement of the pressure arms 25, asvthe pressuresprings 28 expand, until themoyedso that the lifting progresses to the transport "position without material interference byv the; loading springs. It will also be seen thatthe connections .are vsuch that the pressure springs.

acting. downwardly against' vthe ground through' thefurrow. openers '.IT- and upwardly..

againstthe. pressure. arms 25, materially assist thefraising., mechanism when rstx-.starting the? lifting of the "tools against the bias of the loading' springs-but that they do not in any way interfere with the action of the loading springs in applyi-l ing relatively powerful force tending to holdthe furrow openers in the ground,

A' modified form of jthe present invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6, In this form of the invention the flexible element 41a from the trac; tor power lift P is extended rearwardly between the hitch plates I3 and at its rear end is con,-l nected with a plate which, as best shown in Figure 6, is provided with clips 86 and a pair of rollers 81 movable alongv the underside of the longitudinal draft bar I5, which preferably is ofV T-section. A cross bar 89 is placed above the draft bar l5 and is apertured, at its ends to rer ceive the rear ends of a pair of forwardlyconverging pull links 9| and 92. The forward ends of the links are connected to the plate `85. The outer ends of the bar 89, which serves' as a spacer, are provided with brackets 93, and each bracket receives the forward end of a lifting link 94V.- The rear end of each lifting link 94 is connected directly to the lower end ofthe associated arm 42. The other parts of the lifting mechanism are identical with those described above, andv hence the same reference numerals have been employed. Clips 96 are fixed to the underside of the spacing bar 89 and slide along the draft 'bar l5, asbest shown in Figure 6. It will be noted that in this form of the invention the rockshaft 38 (Figure 2) and associated parts, including' the second toggle link arrangement39, 4l, have been omitted and the lifting pull applied directly tov the lower ends of the lifting arms 42. Whilethis construction entails a somewhat proportion-V ately greater power requirement at the beginning,y

of the lifting movement, due to the absence of the advantage of the toggle 39, `lll of Figure r1; it has been Vfound to be entirely adequatefor the` lighter machines, especially where improved bearing' means for supporting the pressure shafts, 2liI and 26a, are employed. Like the form of the' invention shown in Figure 1,1when the tools are raised the arm and link means 53, El move intol substantially-a dead-center relation so that in, the latter part of the range of its lifting movement the lifting meanspincluding the pull links 94, is not required to exert much, if any, force so far as overcoming the springs 62 is concerned.l It will also lbe noted from Figure 6 that when the tools are in their lowered position, the springs 5,2 have their greatest effectiveness in holding the tools in the ground due to the fact that the togglelinkage 1l, l2 moves into substantially a dead-center relationship. Thus, the action 'of thel two toggle linkages 65, 61 and 7|, l2, particularly in conjunction with the pressure springs` 28, is to provide substantially a constant load fori the power lift P,vwith no objectionable peaks, yet thelocls are held in .their soil working position with adequate force, but without overloading the power lift `when raising the tools. This arrangementis also present in the form ofthe inf/enaA tion shown in Figure l,

Iclaim: l 1.-.An agricultural implement having frameV means,- earth? working -i toolmeans connected'I therewtih -for movement intoand out of a low-l` eredoperating position, a bell crank pivoted on said` frame means, aspringanchored at one end, to said frame means, av link connecting the other endof saidspring with one armof the bell, crank,

means .includineasecond link Opel'atveyaconf' means, and means for raising and lowering said tool means, vsaid second link approaching Va subship with fthe associated bell crank arm when the tool means is raised, whereby said spring offers reduced resistance to the raising of said t'ool means by .said raising and lowering means.

2. 'An agricultural implement asl defined in claim'l, further characterized by said raising 'and lowering means .connected with said bell crank through toggle linkage.

3. An agricultural implement having frame means, a plurality of furrow 4openers movablev generally vertically relative thereto, a lifting rockshaft mounted on the frame means and hav-v ing ja plurality of pressure arms fixed thereto,` and a pressure spring between each furrow open-` er and the associated pressure arm, a bell `crank pivoted on the main frame, a link connecting one arm of the bell crank with said rcckshaft, and a loading vspring anchored vto said frame means and connected to the other arm of the bell crank, said .onearm of the latter and said link being arranged angularly so as to serve as a toggle and to approach' a substantially dead center relation when said furrow openers are in their lowered position, whereby said loading spring acts with increased mechanical advantage through said pressure springs to hold said furrow openers in` the-ground.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, further l characterized by link means connecting the loading spring with said other bell crank arm, the: latter and said link means approaching a dead center relationship vwhen the furrow openers are 'raisedfwhereby in this position of the vfurrow openers the effect oi Vsaid loading spring on` the furrow openers is reduced.

V5. The invention set forthin claim 3, furtherv characterized by means having a toggle connection withsaid rockshaft for lifting said furrow tion with said rockshaft for 'lifting said furrowl openers into'a transport position aga-inst the ac-l tion of said loading spring, said toggle connection. being arranged so as to act with increased l mechanical advantage against said rockshaft" when the furrow openers are in a lowered position and the loading spring acts with increased:

mechanical advantage tending to hold the Afurrow openers in a lowered position. I

'7. An apparatus-formoving an earth-working Yac tool into and out of the` ground, comprising avr loading spring, means connected 'between *said` spring fandY the tool providinga toggle linkage in-.`

,cluding relatively movable parts, one connected with said spring and the other connected with aars-,sos

8 said last mentioned `parts 'being :notable` 'into such-angular position as 'to provide an increased mechanical advantage for said raisingmeans when the tool is in the ground, which latter mechanical advantage progressively decreases as the tool is raised.

`8. An agricultural Vimplement comprisingfframe means, an earth-working tool, spring `means fact'- ing between said frame means and said toolforA andv having a pair of angularly related arms, link means vconnecting one of said arms with said raising means, a second linkY means. connecting the other arm of said bell crank with .said tool, and the-'link means associated therewith moving i-nto an extended position when the tool means is in the 'ground and the other link means ex'- tending approximately perpendicular with yrespect to the bell crank Varm connected therewith, whereby there is provided an increased'mechan'- ical advantage for said raising 'means when the tool is in the ground, which latter mechanical advantage progressively decreases as the tool' is raised into its transport position.

9. In an agricultura1 implement having earthworking tool means movable into a-nd out of operating position, means for forcing said to'olv means into the soil comprising a spring, a rockablerarm connected therewith, and toggle linkage connecting said arm with said tool means and adapted to approach a vsubstantiallyy dead. center relation when said tool means reaches vits full depth, whereby said spring means has its greatest effectiveness toward holding the tool means inthe ground, and mechanism for raising said tool means out of `the ground against Ythe action of said spring and 'including toggle linkage disposed substantially in a dead center relationship when the tool means is lowered, whereby 'the Yeiectiveness of said raising mechanism in raising said tool means from its lowered po-g ysition against the Vaction of said spring means is multiplied. Y Y l 10. An agricultural implement comprising the 'ground' said second spring means acts Y'to apply an increasing'force against said tool means through saidirst spring means, thereby biasing the latter, and tool lifting means comprising a second movable member and linkage connecting said second movable member with said'rst menitioned -member, said linkage being arranged sok that the mechanical advantage at whichl said v second movable member "acts against 'said' first Vsaid tool, movable into such angular position as i to provide a progressively increasing' mechanical advantage for `the spring action as the tool approaches its position in the ground; movable means for raising said tool Yout of the ground against the action of said spring, and means connected between said movable means and said Atool 1 providing a second toggle linkage including relal tively movable parts, one Vconnected withV saidmovablemeans and the other with 'saidtool,

Y movable member is greatest when the effective force exerted by said second spl'lig means is the greatest.

11. An agricultural y implement comprising Y frame means, tool means movable relative thereto between'A raised and lowered positions, means for raising and lowering .said tool imeans, aload. ing spring anchored at one end `to said frame means, anda pair of toggle linkages, one'. con'- nected between said frame means and :said 'mis-,'-

' ing andzlowering means, and the; otherconnected between the frame means and the other end` of said loading spring, said two toggle linkages in..

fana 3 1 0 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Morkovski July 12, 1938 Mott Oct. 13, 1942 Mott Oct. 13, 1942 

